Red faced: Shaheen’s Indian name dance

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen last week took a firm stand on the use of Native American names for sports teams. Or did she?

Last Wednesday Shaheen joined 49 other senators in signing a letter urging NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to force the Washington Redskins to change its team name. The letter called the name racist and bigoted. So what does Shaheen think of New Hampshire sports teams with similar names? She has no comment.

Belmont High School’s sports teams are called the Red Raiders. The logo is a Native American’s face. Some students there have been working for months to change the logo to something that makes no reference to Indians. After Shaheen signed the Redskins letter, the Concord Monitor asked her for a comment on the Red Raiders name. She refused to take a position.And so we have another glimpse of Shaheen’s “leadership.” In Washington, she followed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in signing the Redskins letter to create a wedge issue to use against Republicans. In New Hampshire, she won’t lead on the issue for fear that it might cost her votes. Team Shaheen’s mascot should be the Yucca Moth. It is entirely dependent upon the Yucca plant, common in Harry Reid’s home state of Nevada, and it is an invertebrate.